The waves gently pounded against the boat as the fishing nets were pulled back. Hundreds of struggling fish fought helplessly against the nets as the fisherman heaved the haul into the boat. The trawler chopped through the waves, pulling in more fish while the crew worked non-stop just trying to keep the old ship afloat. The hull sank dangerously close to the water while the nets were out, threatening to capsize at any moment.
Naruko worked with the rest of them, the blond girl struggling trying to heave the huge nets into the ship. The girl was tall and thin, slender but with strong muscles; she was wearing dirty, worn, grey overalls, and she pulled the ropes with the rest of the crew.
The trawler kept on pushing forward for the rest of the day, and the work never stopped. It was an old boat, and there were constantly more chores than workers to do them.
By the time the ship finally returned to the harbour it was already getting dark, but the work wasn't over. At port, all the fish had to be sorted, gutted, and salted, and soon half the village was out on the dock clearing the trawler of its load.
It was long, hard and dirty work, but it was good. The villagers were friendly and laughed and joked even as the fish were gutted. It was a small village, but they had adopted Naruko with open arms two years ago.
"Oi, Naru!" A fisherman called out friendly. "Did you get your haul in?"
The blond grinned and held up a huge sack of dead fish. The fisherman grunted. "Ha! How did you get so good with a net, anyways?"
"It's a skill." Naruko replied brightly, taking her catch out and pulling it over the bench. She glanced around to make sure no one was still looking, and carefully flexed out her finger. A razor-thin string zipped from her fingertip, the edge neatly cutting open a fish. Her power was the String-String fruit, and she tried to keep it a secret. The village had been accepting, but people could be superstitious when it came to Devil Fruits.
The sun was slowly starting to fall across the harbour, and it was nearly twilight by the time the fishermen were ready to pack up. It had been a hard day, but still Naruko had enjoyed it. The hard work was refreshing. The best part of the day, mind, was when everything was winding down and Naruko glimpsed a speck of pink approaching the docks.
Sakura was slowly walking downwards, and she grinned brightly when she saw Naruko. She loved Sakura. Everyone loved Sakura. Each day she came down to the docks, and she would always wear a fluffy, pink scarf. It was the only dot of colour among the dull grey, and Naruko loved her just for bringing a bit of colour into her life.
"Hey, Naru." She said happily. Sakura had a beautiful smile, but her personality was even more stunning. She wore a flowered dress with her trademark pink scarf draped across her shoulders.
Naruko had to gulp. Even after two years, she would still take her breath away. It felt like there was a stone in her throat. "Hey." She managed finally, wiping the fish guts from her overalls.
"How was it?" She asked nicely, walking up beside her. Even in her pretty flowered dress, she didn't mind standing next to someone as dirty as her.
"Same as always." She said hesitantly. She had been tired, but whenever she was with her, she suddenly felt wide awake.
Naruko waved goodbye to the other fisherman as she walked away. They cheered and grinned as she left with Sakura. She held her hand as they left docks, and just being so close to her made Naruko so nervous she had stopped herself from twitching. Her breath felt so loud and heavy, while she tried to hold herself together in her presence.
They could talk for hours. Sakura had a way of putting her both completely at ease and making her utterly nervous at the same time. They gently walked right up to her quarters at the edge of the village, and Naruko felt just so happy being in her presence.
They stood outside the door, and Sakura grinned and asked. "How long have you been living here?" She wondered.
"Nearly two years now." It wasn't a big cottage, but the village had been kind enough to donate it to the scrawny little castaway that washed up at the shore.
"It feels like just yesterday." Sakura said sweetly. "You were so hungry and lost. I'm glad that you've got a place here now."
Naruko smiled nervously. "Me too."
"You had amnesia when we found you." There was a slight question in her voice.
Naruko looked away nervously. She couldn't lie to Sakura, but there were some things that she couldn't tell either. There were things in her past that had to be kept secret.
"It's alright, Naru." She said sweetly, almost reading her mind. "You don't have to tell me anything. I know that you were running from something, but I don't care about your past. I just want to let you know that you have a place here. You're safe here."
She rubbed her arm reassuringly, leaving Naruko lost for words as she walked away. Only Sakura could ever take her breath away.
The next day, the morning sun filtered through her blinds and Naruko slowly woke up. It was a morning like any other, and she yawned as she pulled on her overalls. Her boots were unceremoniously shoved on her feet before she stomped out the door, ready for work.
Naruko stomped outside, as slowly staggered into the village. She was wiping her eyes with tiredness, but she was still so eager to see Sakura again. She was heading to the tavern, when suddenly she heard something that made her blood turn cold.
Somebody was talking from inside the tavern; yet it was a dull, almost monotone voice that Naruko never recognised. The village had less than fifty inhabitants, and Naruko knew them all by name. The village had a small harbour and only one boat. There were never any travellers through the island. It was the quietest, most out-of-the-way village in the East Blue. That was why Naruko chose this place to hide in.
There couldn't be any visitors here, unless…
"So why are you here, Mister…?" A voice asked slowly from inside the tavern. Naruko stood outside the door, so scared her hands were trembling.
"Lieutenant. Lieutenant Vergo." The dull, monotone voice replied. Naruko felt her heart drop. "I'm tracking down an escaped criminal. I heard rumours that she may have come through here."
"Huh, there aren't many people that come through here." Someone replied nervously.
There was a sound of someone sipping a drink. "So who was the last?" The voice asked, carefully.
I need to run, Naruko thought desperately. The Marines had finally caught up with them. She had run from Mariejois years ago and took refuge in the quietest corner of the East Blue that she could find. With dread, she realised that her life was over. The quiet, peaceful life that she had spent the last two years enjoying was finally over.
She should run. If she ran now, she could make it to the harbour, hijack the ship and sail away before anyone knew what was happening. That was the right thing to do. That was what she should do now, Naruko realised.
At the same time, Naruko knew that she couldn't just leave. If she ran, then all the villagers would end up being associates of a criminal. Naruko knew first-hand how ruthless the Marines could be when it came to upholding "justice". She couldn't do that to them. She couldn't do that to Sakura.
Instead, Naruko just stood perfectly still, listening with quiet dread as her life changed forever.
"I guess the last visitor we had was Naru. She's a teenager that shipwrecked here two years ago, with amnesia." The villager replied.
Lieutenant Vergo took another sip. "I see, so where is Naru now?"
"The girl stayed to work as a fisherman with us. She's got an old cottage on the edge of the village." The answer was hesitant; unsure what the Marine officer wanted, but afraid to deny him.
There was a pause. "Thank you for your co-operation." There was the sound of someone standing up. "I must be going now. The coffee was delicious."
"That was water…"
There was the sound of heavy footsteps heading to the door. Large boots were stomping towards the exit. Still, Naruko couldn't move. The door opened, and Lieutenant Vergo stepped out.
The Marine was tall and muscular, with short dark hair, sideburns and sunglasses. He wore a white knee-length trench coat, and a Marines cap, with a large bamboo stick on his waist. He had the crumbs of sandwich stuck to the side of his mouth, yet he still exerted a dangerous aura. Vergo glanced at Naruko standing to the side of the door, without a hint of surprise.
"'Naru', I presume?" Vergo asked quietly, looking over the blond, seventeen year old.
There was a moment's hesitation.
"I won't run." Naruko replied quietly.
There was a pause. "I believe you." Vergo nodded. "Say your goodbyes, and then meet me by the north shore in an hour."
Vergo was already starting to walk away calmly. "If you are late, I will hold these villagers responsible." He added, without even a hint of emotion.
The Lieutenant had already left, leaving Naruko standing perfectly still. The girl took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She glanced up inside the tavern, where the villagers were looking confused, not sure what was happening. She saw Sakura, looking back at her with concern. This might be her last chance to say goodbye, she realised.
Still, Naruko said nothing. She just wasn't strong enough. Slowly, she turned around and walked away.
An hour later, Naruko arrived at the north shore of the island. She had all of her belongings in a bag slung over her shoulder. Two years of her life had fit neatly into a small bag. It had taken her the entire hour just to prepare herself. The Lieutenant was standing patiently for her, staring out to sea. There was a small dingy flying the Marine flag rocking slightly in the waves by the shore.
"You came." Vergo stated simply.
"Where else could I go?" Naruko asked with a scowl. "There's only one boat to get me off this island."
She motioned to the Marine dingy. The fishing trawler was too old to survive any long journey out to sea, and besides, the village depended on that boat. The island was too small; there was no way to run or hide. The small boat that Vergo arrived in was the only way out.
"Fair enough. Do you want to finish this?"
Naruko nodded. "I won't go back there alive."
"Fortunately, the wanted poster says 'Dead or Alive'." Vergo replied simply.
"Good point." Naruko conceded. "Did you really come here all by yourself? No backup?"
Vergo nodded. "Admiral Smoker will be forced to give me a promotion if I bring you back." He explained. "They still tell stories about you. Donquixote Naruko–the girl who ran away from being a World Noble. The girl who ran away from royalty. If I kill you, my career is made."
"Well then, that makes it simple." Naruko agreed, dropping her bag on to the ground. She glared at Vergo darkly. "Let's get this over with."
"If you insist." Instantly, Vergo was sprinting towards her, swinging his arm across her body. The next thing Naruko knew, the Lieutenant was slamming his elbow straight into the her face. Naruko tasted the blood, and was sent flying backwards.
She grunted, before bracing herself and extending her fingers. Suddenly, razor-thin wires were extending from her fingers, and Naruko slashed upwards. The wires cut through Vergo's shoulder, drawing blood, but the Marine barely seemed to notice.
Vergo brought down a vicious left hook, but Naruko just managed to block with a net of thin strings. Without pausing, Vergo changed the attack into a roundhouse kick, slamming into Naruko chest and knocking the girl to the ground.
It felt like she had broken a rib, but despite the pain and blood Naruko felt a huge grin split open her face. Vergo charged again, and Naruko weaved her string through the air. The threads sliced across Vergo's body until he was covered in slashes, yet still the Marine didn't even pause as he planted his fist straight into Naruko's face.
It had been years since Naruko had used her Devil Fruit power so much, but now the strings were flying out of her. Even as the blond was flying backwards through the air, she wrapped her string around Vergo and dragged the Marine down with her.
Vergo kept on punching. Every blow felt like a sledgehammer. Each fist slammed against Naruko like concrete. Each punch was unwavering and solid. Vergo never hesitated; he just kept on dishing out the pain.
Yet Naruko kept on standing up. Every punch was met with wires slicing through the air, until Vergo was bleeding from hundreds of cuts across his body. Naruko could feel the pain, but the adrenaline just kept on pushing her forward. Eventually, the blond was laughing manically even as Vergo pounded the living daylights out of her.
Each punch felt harder than the last, yet Naruko shrugged them all off. Her bones might have been pulverised into dust, but she didn't care. The blood just kept on oozing out onto the ground, and the primal instincts took over.
It seemed like it took like an eternity, but eventually Naruko could see Vergo starting to slow down. The man was a beast, but he was losing too much blood. Naruko's string kept on slicing up his flesh, and he was weakening. As Vergo pulled back his fist for another jaw-breaking punch, Naruko could see him struggling to stay conscious. Naruko's laugh became almost hysterical.
Naruko wrapped the string around Vergo, causing the man to grunt as he struggled to escape the threads. Naruko never gave him a chance, but suddenly pulling herself backwards and then head-butted the Marine with a bone-crunching impact.
Both of them suddenly fell backwards. The adrenaline was starting to slow down. Vergo just kept on bleeding out into the ground. Naruko took a deep breath, and started to laugh again.
Naruko was laughing so hard she was almost crying. Her heart was still pounding in her chest. "I forgot how much I missed this!" Naruko exclaimed loudly, still lying on her back on the ground. "The blood! The brutality! No reason or thought, just kill or be killed! This is truly what life is really about."
She glanced at the Marine across from her, also panting deeply, unable to move.
"You feel it too, don't you?" Naruko asked eagerly. "It's the common nature of all humans. Kill or be killed, and there's nothing more beautiful!"
Vergo nodded, almost absentmindedly. "Yes, I feel it too."
She chuckled madly. "You know, it's a shame it has to end like this. I have a feeling that if we met under different circumstances, we might have been friends."
"Yes." Vergo agreed. "But it is unfortunate that one of us has to die."
Naruko's grin widened even further. "For so long I've buried this part of me." She muttered wistfully. "I thought I could escape my past, but I was a fool. You can't escape the person you really are. I'm sick of running; I've had enough of hiding. I think it's time that the world saw the person that I really am." Naruko glanced at Vergo. "So thank you, you've really helped me sort some issues out."
Vergo pulled himself up. "You're welcome." He said politely. "Shall we end this?"
Naruko pulled herself up too. "Oh, it'll be my pleasure."
Vergo pulled off his trench coat and dropped his broken sunglasses. Without the coat, his muscles seemed to bulge even further. He had lost so much blood, but he just kept on going. Both of them stared at each other for half a second, letting the tension build.
The Lieutenant charged first, but he had lost too much blood. He was too slow. Naruko threaded her string around the air. Each thread was unbreakable, wrapping into a near-invisible net that surrounded the Marine. Within a second, Vergo was trapped and struggling in a net he couldn't break.
"I'm sorry." Naruko muttered between heavy pants. "But please die."
Her fingers flexed, drawing out a single string that weaved through the air, before flicking it towards Vergo. It hit Vergo at the waist, and just kept on cutting. Naruko swore that she glimpse the Marine give half a smile before he fell to the ground. Naruko stood over the two halves of the dead Marine, and suddenly she was laughing again.
Her body was beaten, bruised and broken, but she had won. The Marines had found her trail again, and soon or later more would come, but she just didn't care. The blond kept on laughing, and she knew that everything had changed.
It was nearly dark by the time Naruko staggered back into the village. She had tried to clean herself up, but her grey overalls were still stained with blood. She was swaying slightly as she walked, but she knew what she had to do.
She found Sakura standing outside the tavern. The other villagers were inside, relaxing after a hard day's work. Sakura looked at her beaten face with worry, yet Naruko just grinned.
"You're going to have to leave now." Sakura realised. It wasn't a question, but the statement was still edged with regret.
Naruko nodded. "More will be coming after me shortly. I've got to go." Sakura was smart enough not to ask what happened to Lieutenant Vergo.
"I'm sorry." She said softly. There were tears in her eyes.
Naruko smiled and lightly stroked her cheek. "Don't be." She said tenderly. "These last two years have been amazing. When I was here, it was the taste of a life that I never had, and I was happy."
She paused. "But this life isn't for me." She said sadly. "I've got a destiny, and I'm going to own it. I'm tired of running. I'm sick of hiding. I'm not going to be nothing anymore."
"I'm going to be king ." She proclaimed with a smile.
Sakura hugged her tightly. "I'm going to miss you."
"I know." Naruko held her for a moment. "I promise I'll come back if I'm still alive."
There were sounds from inside the tavern. She didn't want to have to explain to the other villagers that she had just murdered a Marine officer. It was best if she just left now. She hugged Sakura for as long as he could, before slowly letting go and walking away.
She only got a couple of steps before Sakura called out to her. "Hey."
Naruko turned, and Sakura took off her pink scarf and wrapped it around her neck, using the scarf to pull her down to her. She kissed her suddenly, and Naruko's heart skipped a beat.
It lasted a couple of seconds, before she let go. She was grinning madly. So was her.
"Pink looks good on you." She said finally.
Naruko's smile reached new heights. She was laughing wildly as she walked away, clutching her new pink scarf tightly. Nobody was ever taking that scarf from her.
Destiny was calling her.